1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector fitting structure in which a pair of female and male connectors are fitted together in a locked condition, and more particularly to the structure of a lever-type connector for effecting a fitting operation by pivotally moving a lever.
2. Related Art
Various conventional lever-type connectors are already known (see, for example, JP-A-2002-359028 Publication (Pages 5 to 6, FIGS. 2 and 3)). FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a lever-type connector disclosed in Patent Literature 1, showing a condition before a male housing is fitted in a female housing, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the lever-type connector of FIG. 17, showing a condition in which the male housing is fitted in the female housing.
Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, in the lever-type connector 100, a projecting portion 104 of the male housing 103 is engaged in an engagement hole 102 formed in a lever 101, so that the lever 101 is supported on the male housing so as to be pivotally moved about the projecting portion 104.
The lever 101, when pivotally moved, assists in the fitting movement of the male housing 103 into a female housing 105, and brings the two housings 103 and 105 into a fitted condition. Namely, the male housing 103 is inserted and fitted into a hood portion 106 of the female housing 105, and also a retaining projection 107 of the hood portion 106 is engaged with a retaining portion (not shown) of the lever 101, so that the two housings 103 and 105 are held in the fitted condition through the lever 101.
However, in the above conventional lever-type connector 100 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, when the lever 101 was pivotally moved so as to fit the two housings 103 and 105 together, the projecting portion 104 could not smoothly move within the engagement hole 102, thus inviting a problem that it was difficult to pivotally move the lever 101 smoothly in a stable manner. Another problem is that the radius of pivotal movement of the lever 101, as well as the force required for operating the lever, was increased.